Thalamic nuclei are thought to either transmit information from periphery to cortex ("first order nuclei") or between cortical areas ("higher order nuclei"). The rodent somatosensory system contains two main thalamic relay nuclei: the ventral posterior medial (VPM), which is a first order nucleus, and the posterior medial (POm). Although POm is thought to be a higher order nucleus, evidence for this is controversial. My goal is to investigate the functions of POm and to test the novel hypothesis that it serves both as a first and as a higher order nucleus. Based on exciting new data I propose that these functions are regulated by inputs from two inhibitory thalamic nuclei: the zona incerta (ZI) and the thalamic reticular nucleus (RTN).